Drought: California taking sweeping steps to conserve water

Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday ordered sweeping and unprecedented measures to save water in California. A survey that day found the snowpack, which supplies a third of the state's water, almost completely vanished. Cities have developed local storage supplies to soften the blow of future dry years, which also insulates residents from the severity of the drought. Brown also asked for a voluntary 25 percent cut in water use in 1977 during his first term as governor. Nearly 40 years later, Brown warns that drought may be the new normal. Surveyors on Wednesday found the lowest snow level in the Sierra Nevada snowpack in 65 years of record-keeping, marking a fourth consecutive year of vanishing snow that California depends on to melt into rivers and replenish reservoirs. He signed an executive order ordering officials to impose statewide mandatory water restrictions and expand programs intended to reshape how Californians use water. Cemeteries, golf courses and business headquarters must significantly cut back on watering their large landscapes. Local governments will tear out 50 million square feet of lawns for drought-tolerant plants. And customers will get money for replacing old water-sucking appliances with efficient ones under a temporary rebate program.  That includes directing local agencies to charge for high water use, such as extra fees for the highest water consumption. State water officials vowed to crack down on water waste and illegal water diversions, acknowledging spotty enforcement of existing rules limiting outdoor water use. The order also prohibits new homes and developments from using drinkable water for irrigation if the structures lack water-efficient drip systems. In addition, the watering of decorative grasses on public street medians is banned...more